Author Archives: Simon Tonkin

When a third of a region’s expected annual rainfall comes pouring down in under 12 hours, we could be forgiven for thinking that the apocalypse is coming to Spain.  As a wet front coming in from the Mediterranean hits the mountains of the Alcornacales Natural Park, it is being forced to unceremoniously dump its moistureContinue reading “Time to build an Ark
?”

There’s nothing better when travelling than to connect with a place that you really feel at home in. This is exactly what happened to Simon of the Inglorious Bustards when he first found Huerta Grande eco-resort and met Katrin and the team ten years ago, and we’re both extremely happy to now be able toContinue reading “A home from home”

We’ve been high…in the Mountains of Ronda where we delighted in showing the best wildlife to our group who not only had the best encounters with the nature of the area but also some of the best food and culture of these two wonderful areas on our “Unknown Vulture Spectacle tour” This tour had twoContinue reading “High as a kite”

After a day’s birding amongst the crags and cliffs of Monfragüe National Park, the jewel in Cáceres department’s crown, most people move on to other areas of Extremadura.  But there are many less-birded gems to discover.  My group – consisting of seasoned journalists, budding young bloggers and, er, me – had had a fantastic introductionContinue reading “Birding Off-piste in Extremadura – Part Two…”

      Think of a birding trip to Extremadura and you’ll undoubtedly think of Monfragüe National Park.   This 18,000 hectare jewel in the region’s crown has become one of the most important birdwatching destinations in Spain. And with good reason.  As well as a wealth of mountain passerines, this protected area is internationally importantContinue reading “Birding Off-piste in Extremadura – Part One…”

A. We all chose to pass through Tarifa’s Cazalla raptor watchpoint on the same day! Several days of strong easterly crosswinds (known locally as the Levante or ‘sunrise wind’) had stopped the migrating raptors in their tracks. Now, the gentle Poniente or ‘sunset wind’ prevailed, with a slight southerly direction giving the birds the liftContinue reading “Q. What do @urbanbirder , 20,000+ Honey Buzzards, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, White Storks, Black Kites, and the Inglorious Bustards have in common?”

Do you ever have those moments when your brain takes an involuntary step back from what you’re doing and goes “What the heck am I doing here?!”? Wading through a weedy pumpkin field somewhere in Central Morocco, stirring up clouds of Crimson-speckled Flunkey moths and hoping with each step that our feet would dislodge anContinue reading “What the heck am I doing here?!”

Things are hotting up for Birdfair in the Inglorious camp!   Last week we received our gorgeous artwork from our friend Holly at World of Twigg, so the early part of this week saw us gleefully designing t-shirts which we will be modelling at the event!  There’s been a good bit of important training goingContinue reading “Buzzing for Birdfair!”

This is the excerpt for your very first post.